Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Behind some ridiculous late-game heroics from Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors won an overtime thriller over the New Orleans Pelicans, 123-119 in Game 3 on Thursday at the Smoothie King Center.
Curry went off for 40 points on 10-of-29 shooting and dished out nine assists. He was also 7-of-18 from three-point range, the most important bomb coming as time expired in regulation.
After missing one semi-open three with less than five seconds left, Curry got another chance following an offensive rebound. He didn't disappoint, hitting a falling three over two Pelicans that could've easily been called an and-1.
That three capped a 39-19 fourth quarter, giving the Warriors the biggest comeback in the franchise's playoff history.
On the other end, the Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting, grabbed 15 rebounds, blocked three shots, handed out two assists and swiped two steals.
His huge line just couldn't quite stack up to the stuff of legend Curry brought.
| Golden State Warriors | Grades |
| Stephen Curry | A+ |
| Klay Thompson | A |
| Draymond Green | A |
| Andrew Bogut | B |
| Harrison Barnes | B+ |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Grades |
| Anthony Davis | A |
| Tyreke Evans | B |
| Eric Gordon | D- |
| Ryan Anderson | A |
| Rest of Team | B |
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry: A+
What else can be said about Curry?
With the Warriors seemingly dead in the water, he went ballistic in the fourth quarter and overtime, hitting shots no one should have any business making.
There was simply no way to defend him, even when the Pelicans did defend him. Still with me?
On a number of Curry's late threes, the Pelicans had a hand (sometimes three or four hands) in his face. And yet Curry continued to bury dagger after dagger.
Sure, it was far from his most efficient game, but he showed titanium nerves when it mattered most.
Klay Thompson: A
For much of the game, Klay Thompson seemed disconnected, like he was having an off night. Then you look at the box score.
Perhaps it was because of Curry's flame-throwing, but Thompson somehow had a quiet 28 points on 9-of-21 shooting and 6-of-12 from the field.
He also did a great job of defending Eric Gordon for much of the game, helping to hold New Orleans' floor spacer to 2-of-10 shooting.
As ridiculous as Curry was on offense, Draymond Green was almost as impactful on the other end and on the boards.
After giving up a pretty strong start to Davis, Green all but erased New Orleans' leading scorer for the last few minutes of the third quarter and most of the fourth.
He was completely dominant on the boards as well. He grabbed 17, including seven on the offensive end, many of which saved crucial late-game possessions.
Oh, and as if all of that wasn't enough, he also had 12 points, five assists and three steals.
Andrew Bogut: B
Andrew Bogut was limited to just 26 minutes, as New Orleans went small for much of the game. He was effective in his time on the floor, though.
He scored six points and grabbed five rebounds, and he stopped Davis one-on-one when he had a chance to tie the game at the end of overtime.
Harrison Barnes: B+
Despite a slow start to the game, Harrison Barnes wound up having a huge impact for the Warriors. His box score stats of 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks don't tell the whole story.
Down the stretch, he had two putback dunks and a critical three during Golden State's ridiculous comeback.
Rest of Team: C+
Shaun Livingston was great off the bench, often playing in a three-guard lineup with Thompson and Curry that allowed him to slash to the paint at will. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
There wasn't much else from Golden State's bench, as Andre Iguodala, Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights combined to shoot 5-of-21 from the field.
Speights did have a game-changing play, though. He went all Chris Bosh in the final seconds of the fourth quarter when he grabbed an offensive rebound and dished it out to Curry for the game-tying shot.
New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis: A
Davis carried the Pelicans for the first three quarters, scoring at will from the mid- to high-post area. Whether off a post catch or a pick-and-pop, he was able to knock down jumper after jumper over whoever was guarding him.
But he cooled off significantly in the fourth quarter when Green got a little more physical and crowded most of his jumpers. When New Orleans needed him most, Davis was mostly neutralized.
On the other end of the floor, he was his typically disruptive self, changing shots and controlling the boards.
Tyreke Evans: B
Despite a couple of mental blunders, Tyreke Evans had a very solid outing, scoring 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting and dishing out eight assists.
He did a good a good job of attacking Golden State's defense out of the pick-and-roll, but he didn't always make the right decision when it was on its heels. He tied Davis with a game-high four turnovers, and after one bucket, he admired his handiwork long enough to allow his man to score on the other end.
Eric Gordon: D-
After averaging 19.5 points and shooting 52.9 percent from three-point range in the first two games of the series, Gordon just couldn't get going on his home floor.
He finished with six points, making only one of six threes. The off night didn't deter him from taking, and missing, a big shot down the stretch, either.
Ryan Anderson: A
With New Orleans getting next to nothing from three starters—Gordon, Quincy Pondexter and Omer Asik—Ryan Anderson showed up with an incredible offensive performance.
He dropped 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting, hitting one ridiculous Dirk Nowitzki-like fadeaway after another. it didn't matter who was on him. Harrison Barnes. Draymond Green. No one was safe.
Rest of Team: B
The rest of the Pelicans' second unit was also excellent. Norris Cole scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, Jrue Holiday dropped 10, and Dante Cunningham had six points and five boards.
As for the other starters, Pondexter and Asik were almost nonexistent. Asik played just 20 minutes, grabbing six rebounds and scoring one point on 0-of-2 shooting. Pondexter had six points and six boards.
Coming Up Next
It's tough to imagine the Pelicans coming back after such a soul-crushing defeat, but they'll have a shot at it Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET for Game 4.
New Orleans will likely have to go small again and hope for a superhuman effort from Davis and better shooting from Gordon.
Golden State, meanwhile, just needs to turn up the defensive intensity a little earlier than the fourth quarter in the next one.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
